Elizabethtown College announced recently that Milton Hershey School President Pete Gurt will serve as this year’s Commencement speaker for the 120th exercises on Saturday, May 13 at 10 a.m. President Gurt will address the nearly 550 students in the Class of 2023 during the ceremony which will be held in the Dell located on the College’s campus.
“President Gurt is an academic visionary who is paving the way to help children from low-income backgrounds gain access to educational resources and societal needs through both Milton Hershey School and now Catherine Hershey Schools for Early Learning,” Elizabethtown College President Betty Rider said. “The deep impact President Gurt is creating on our surrounding communities and beyond aligns directly with how we encourage our students to use their knowledge, energy, and talents to positively influence the lives of others.”
Founded in 1909 by Milton and Catherine Hershey, Milton Hershey School nurtures and educates children in pre-K through 12th grade in social and financial need to lead fulfilling and productive lives.
A 1985 alumnus of Milton Hershey School, President Gurt has devoted himself as an accomplished academic administrator reaching the highest enrollment in school history with 2,189 students during the 2019-20 academic year, implementing three state-registered pre-apprenticeship programs, launching the first in the state in 2017-18, and receiving full-accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies in 2017. MHS was the first pre-K through 12th-grade residential school to receive the international honor.
“The ongoing legacy of Milton and Catherine Hershey is an extraordinary story for all, and I am honored to share how we have continued to accelerate the Hershey’s generosity with the Elizabethtown College community,” MHS President Pete Gurt said. “I’m hopeful the graduates will feel inspired to take their intellect and creativity and use it to ignite innovation and impact as they make their own mark in the world.”
Catherine Hershey Schools (CHS) To Expand in Elizabethtown
President Gurt has led the school’s early childhood education initiative, Catherine Hershey Schools for Early Learning (CHS). Six CHS Early Childhood Education Centers will open in Pennsylvania, including one in Elizabethtown. The Centers will provide a cost-free educational, social, and cognitive program to children from six weeks to age five from economically disadvantaged and at-risk backgrounds. The Lancaster County CHS Centers are expected to begin operating in 2026.
Gurt became the 10th president of Milton Hershey School in 2014, previously working in various academic administrator and leadership roles at the school including senior vice president and chief operating officer. President Gurt received a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Temple University and continued his education at The Pennsylvania State University where he earned a master’s degree in education. He serves on the Commission for Accreditation for the Pennsylvania Association of Independent Schools. President Gurt resides in Hershey with his wife, Jane Gurt, a 1983 alumna of Elizabethtown College.
Elizabethtown College will host one ceremony inclusive of all six Schools and the School for Graduate and Professional Studies (SGPS). The ceremony also will be livestreamed at etown.edu.
ABOUT MILTON HERSHEY SCHOOL
Milton Hershey School is one of the world’s best private schools, where qualifying students in pre-K through 12th grade live on campus and receive an exceptional educational experience—with all costs covered. For more information, visit mhskids.org.
ABOUT CATHERINE HERSHEY SCHOOLS FOR EARLY LEARNING
Catherine Hershey Schools for Early Learning will provide a cost-free educational, social, and cognitive program to children from six weeks to age 5 from economically disadvantaged and at-risk backgrounds through the development of initially six Early Childhood Education Centers. The Centers are subsidiaries of Milton Hershey School and will be staffed and operated independently of the Milton Hershey School core model. For more information, visit chslearn.org.